1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pesticide which has as it's primary focus the control and eradication of fire ants and particularly fire ants of the species solenopsis invicta. It is also equally effective in the eradication of termites. This invention is non-toxic to humans, biodegradable and environmentally safe.
2. Description of the Related Art
For over 60 years now there has been a need to control the spread of black and red imported fire ants. They are invading ever-increasing areas of the United States. With each passing year they spread further north, east and west affecting more States. It has been estimated that red imported fire ants cause more than three hundred million dollars worth of damage per year to the State of Texas alone.
Fire ants are omnivorous, feeding on almost any plant or animal matter. Fire ants damage young plants by gnawing holes in roots, tubers, stalks, and buds. The fire ant population has increased so rapidly that they are responsible for the major destruction of crops such as soybeans, potatoes and other vegetables in the farming regions of the United States where they have taken over. They have had a major impact on ground nesting animals and they are a menace to both humans and domestic animals alike. Their venom can cause health problems for humans who are hypersensitive to their venom.
One approach, which has been employed to control the fire ant is chemical pesticides. While these have had minimal success, they also pose environmental hazards. The government has imposed restrictions on some chemicals in an effort to protect the environment from the harmful toxic effects these chemicals produce. Among the chemicals banned or restricted in use by governments are: DDT, Chlorodane, Lindane, Aldrin, Heptechlor, Dieldrin, and Mirex. Mirex was found to be one of the most effective fire ant killers, however since its use has been banned in the United States, the fire ant population has increased rapidly.
There are still a number of commercial pesticide products on the market currently. These pesticides are typically contact poisons and are effective in killing a wide variety of insects. One which specifically targeted fire ants is AMDRO (registered trademark of American Cyanamid Company). This product is a delayed-action pesticide advertised to be effective against fire ants because it is eventually ingested by the queen. When the queen is killed, the colony vanishes and the mound is destroyed. However, AMDRO has a number of drawbacks. AMDRO loses much of it's effectiveness following contact with rain or humidity. This is a serious shortcoming, since much of the domain of imported fire ants is along the southern coastal states of the United States where rainfall is plentiful. AMDRO also has a short shelf life after the container has been opened.
Many of the commercial pesticides carry a warning label that they are hazardous to humans and some, such as Orthene (manufactured by The Ortho Group), state that protective gloves should be used when handling. With this in mind some patents have been issued to inventors for fire ant pesticides which contain natural ingredients such as pine oil and even animal waste. For example: U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,222 to Eichhoefer, Jan. 2, 1990, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,506 also to Eichhoefer, Jun. 2, 1992 both contain pine oil as one of the major ingredients. U.S. Pat. No. 6,699,489 to Driscoll, Mar. 2, 2004, uses animal waste along with other ingredients. A need still remains though for a product which is both effective against fire ants and termites and at the same time is non-toxic to humans, biodegradable and environmentally safe.